1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for maintaining the position of body parts, which can be accommodated to several different applications to fit a patient's health care needs.
The main health problem which is related to the present invention is mostly caused by any abnormal pressure of the bones exerted on the related cartilage. Mechanical and magnetic devices are interchangeable in their applications, and are used according to the needs of the patient and to the acceleration rate of the related therapy.
For example, during a pre-surgery period, one of the mechanical devices could be used to relieve the patient from pain and then the magnetic devices could be used to provide a constant therapy application mode.
The therapy related to the present invention is based on an easy return of the body parts to their natural integrity, functions and normality.
The difference between the two therapies is that the state-of-the-art therapy very seldom allows full recovery and full return to total normal comfort, besides being very expensive.
The therapy of the present invention, by acting gently and constantly for as long as necessary, in comfort and security, allows a full recovery of the body parts, in a natural way to a full restoration and may realign bones and joints, which cannot be done by the therapy according to the state of the art.
Besides congenital deficiencies, diseases such as arthritis, arthrosis or accidents can be a cause of bone displacement which, in turn, can aggravate orthopedic problems such as synovial extravasation and cartilage destruction, and can even require joint replacement.
2. Description of the Related Art
The state of the art related to the above-mentioned cases mostly uses the following techniques: elongations, massages, chiropractic manipulations and injections, etc. provide little or no permanent improvement for the patient. The main reason for the lack of permanent improvements is that the state of the art technology has no way to control and permanently maintain the position of the displaced bones after the above-mentioned techniques have been applied. Quite often, besides the pain, the patient's relief does not last.
For example, a bone which is placed back in its socket slips out again, right after the chiropractic manipulation, when the doctor is no longer there to set it back again.
The most damaging effect of the above-mentioned methods is that they are applied during a short time period, and with a great deal of force. Generally, bone displacements take a long time to occur, and setting them back in a short period of time causes too much trauma.
Another example is a case of arthrosis of the knee, in which a related disabled cartilage is naturally squeezed between the femur and the tibia, and consequently subjected to the rubbing force of the two bones, which is the consequence of the permanent and natural pulling of the related soft tissues. The cartilage, having lost its elasticity, causes some of its chondrocyte cells to be flattened and since they no longer accept the necessary nutriments, they decay and disappear. The cartilage becomes flattened too, and ultimately disappears. Then the femur and the tibia are in contact and rub against each other, with the pain and cracks associated with a disabled knee. The state of the art remedy is firstly a surgically implanted curved plaque on which the two bones will rub without the benefit of the hyaline cartilage and secondly, or in extreme cases, a joint replacement, with all of the difficulties and suffering involved.
A further example is that of casts which are cumbersome, uncomfortable, dirty, and cause ankylosis, loss of muscular mass, and create a need for rehabilitation, which is painful and costly. Moreover, it is to be understood that casts are not usable everywhere, although magnetic implants are.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a method and an apparatus for maintaining the position of body parts, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods and devices of this general type and which provide a new surgical technique that is capable of permanently controlling the relative position of the bones and other parts found in living bodies by mechanical adjustments as well as by adjustable magnetic position devices, that are capable of painlessly integrally restoring any joints to their natural origin and functions, immediately after implantation of the components of the device, with a faster, improved, natural healing process.
The surgery associated with such a new technique allows much more flexibility and comfort for the patient as well as for the surgeon. In fact, long hours of surgery are no longer needed, since the implantation of the magnetic devices can be performed routinely in a relatively short time, and the time-consuming adjustments can be made any time thereafter, without any more surgery at the doctor's office by a nurse or by the patient himself, according to his personal rate of healing, and according to his feeling and comfort.
The laws of physics provide two different methods for achieving a task. The task may be achieved first during a short period of time, under a large amount of power, and second during a long period of time, under a small amount of power.
The first method is exclusively used by the therapy according to the state of the art. The second method is exclusively used by the type of therapy according to the present invention.
Healing takes time; with the first method it can never be achieved, but with the second method not only can it be achieved but the healing time is not harsh because the magnetic field restores the joint functions immediately or soon after surgery. An interesting feature of the magnetic dispositions of the devices used in the present invention is based on a physical law stating that a magnetic field variation between two magnets is always increasing or decreasing according to the inverse of the square of the linear distance variation existing between the two magnets. Such a device becomes a first class shock absorber since the above law states that the closer the two magnets get, the stronger their magnetic repulsion becomes (carried to the square).
It is generally accepted in the medical profession that the reason for a cartilage to decay is poor nourishment because such cartilage is without an integral blood supply. Evidently, if that were the case, everyone on earth would experience decaying cartilage. Since only a percentage of humans experience such a decay, the lack of blood supply cannot be the cause. Very probably, injuries and disease are the plausible causes.
In quite the opposite way, the use of the positioner has demonstrated a strong proclivity of the cartilage to regenerate when relieved from the pressure of the bones. If a sound cartilage is capable of withstanding very high bone pressure, an injured or diseased one is not, having lost some of its natural elasticity and strength, but with the pressure of the bones remaining constant, the decay of such cartilage is inevitable and cartilage cells become flattened and cannot diffuse the nutrients and waste from vessels in the perichondrium or fluid in the joint space, with the result being the disappearance of a part of the cartilage and friction of the bones against each other.
Contrary to the natural cartilage which can be destroyed by injuries or diseases, the magnetic implants can take a lot of punishment and stay unaffected by it or by any diseases or pressure.
Therefore, a magnetic implant device in fact acts as a nursing device, consolidating and preserving a particular joint against eventual similar injuries or against other types of injuries. This type of protection can be used as preventive care and for protection, for example, against repeated sports or occupational injuries, or risks of dislocations due to specific diseases.
During several years, experiments have been made on human fingers, with rudimentary models of mechanical positioners. Such experiments have revealed that:
1. there is no need for a strong repulsive power on disabled joints to set the bones back in their correct location; and PA1 2. a small repulsive power, relieving only a little of the normal pressure, is enough for the injured cartilage to regenerate.
The experiments were fully satisfactory, and no recurrence has been experienced, yet bone enlargements have been resorbed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a new method of therapy for prompt restoration of functions of body parts, in comfort and security, which are qualities that are lacking in the state of the art therapy.
It is a further object to provide some of the necessary medical apparatus for the implementation of the therapy object of the present invention.
It is still a further object to provide some medical tools necessary for the adjustment of such apparatus, and magnetic power delivery.
The law on which the present invention is based may be stated as follows: The magnetic forces existing between the poles of two magnets are inversely proportional to the square of the linear distances defining an interspace therebetween.
The above and even further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the hereinafter set forth detailed description of the invention, the drawings and claims appended herewith.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for maintaining the normal position of body parts, which comprises attaching a positioning device to opposite sides of body parts abnormally approaching each other too closely, and adjusting the positioning device for repositioning the body parts to a normal position.
In accordance with another mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises attaching magnets of the positioning device to the opposite sides of at least two body parts.
In accordance with a further mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises orienting north and south poles of the magnets relative to each other, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with an added mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises inserting temporarily magnetizable material of the positioning device into the opposite sides of at least two body parts, and approaching the material with a magnetizer, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with an additional mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises placing the magnets into implantable containers, and attaching the containers to the body parts.
In accordance with yet another mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises placing the magnets in magnetic sleeves, attaching the magnetic sleeves to the body parts, and rotating the magnets in the magnetic sleeves.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises pressing an at least partly magnetic latch into a hole formed in the bottom of one of the magnets with a spring disposed between the bottom of one of the containers and the bottom of the magnet, and approaching the latch with a magnetic tool causing the latch to exit the hole and freeing the magnet for rotation.
In accordance with yet an added mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises attaching magnets of the positioning device to opposite sides of a foot, orienting north and south poles of the magnets towards each other on one side of the foot and away from each other on the other side of the foot, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with yet an additional mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises implanting rodshaped magnetic positioners into adjacent vertebrae, and adjusting the position of the magnetic positioners with a wrench, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again another mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises implanting sheet magnets at ends of bones in a joint in a mutually repulsive position, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again a further mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises implanting disk-shaped magnets into chambers formed in adjacent vertebrae in a mutually repulsive position, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again an added mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises implanting sleeve-shaped magnets into a body part with like poles of the magnets facing each other in a self-centering, mutually repulsive position, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again an additional mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises attaching an arm to a bone at a fulcrum, attaching a first magnet to the arm, attaching a second magnet to a body part to be controlled, and placing the magnets near each other, for repositioning the body part.
In accordance with still another mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises supporting a first magnet on a muscle, and attaching a second magnet to a body part in the vicinity of the first magnet with like poles of the magnets facing each other, for repulsing the second magnet with the first magnet when the muscle is contracted.
In accordance with still a further mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises placing magnetic rings over a limb on opposite sides of a joint in the limb, and adjusting relative circumferential positions of the rings causing the rings to attract or repel each other, for repositioning the limb.
In accordance with still an added mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises placing a base over a limb on one side of a joint in the limb, attaching one end of a spring to the base, attaching another end of the spring to the limb on an opposite side of the joint, and coiling the spring to produce a desired force, for repositioning the limb.
In accordance with still an additional mode of the invention, there is provided a method which comprises curving one end of a spring around a base of a limb, passing another end of the spring through a nail on the limb, and adjusting coils of the spring around the limb, for repositioning the limb.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided an apparatus for maintaining the normal position of body parts, comprising a positioning device to be placed in the vicinity of opposite sides of body parts abnormally approaching each other too closely, and means for fixing said positioning device in place relative to the body parts, said positioning device being adjustable for repositioning the body parts to a normal position.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the positioning device includes magnets to be attached to the opposite sides of at least two body parts.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the magnets have north and south poles being oriented relative to each other, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the positioning device includes temporarily magnetizable material being inserted into the opposite sides of at least two body parts, and a magnetizer approaching said material, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the positioning device includes implantable containers surrounding said magnets and being attached to the body parts.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the positioning device includes magnetic sleeves surrounding said magnets and being attached to the body parts, said magnets being rotatable in said magnetic sleeves.
In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, there is provided an at least partly magnetic latch, a spring disposed between a bottom of one of said containers and a bottom of one of said magnets for pressing said latch into a hole formed in said bottom of said magnet, and a magnetic tool causing said latch to exit said hole upon approaching said latch, for freeing said magnet for rotation.
In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the positioning device has magnets and brackets fastened to said magnets for attaching said magnets to opposite sides of a foot with north and south poles of said magnets being oriented towards each other on one side of the foot and away from each other on the other side of the foot, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the positioning device includes rod-shaped magnetic positioners to be implanted into adjacent vertebrae, and a wrench for adjusting a position of said magnetic positioners, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the positioning device includes sheet magnets to be implanted at ends of bones in a joint in a mutually repulsive position, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the positioning device includes disk-shaped magnets to be implanted into chambers formed in adjacent vertebrae in a mutually repulsive position, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, the positioning device includes sleeve-shaped magnets to be implanted into a body part with like poles of the magnets facing each other in a self-centering, mutually repulsive position, for repositioning the body parts.
In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, there is provided an arm to be attached to a bone at a fulcrum, a first magnet attached to said arm, and a second magnet to be attached to a body part to be controlled, said magnets being placed near each other, for repositioning the body part.
In accordance with still another feature of the invention, there is provided a first magnet to be supported on a muscle, and a second magnet to be attached to a body part in the vicinity of said first magnet with like poles of said magnets facing each other, for repulsing said second magnet with said first magnet when the muscle is contracted.
In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, there are provided magnetic rings to be placed over a limb on opposite sides of a joint in the limb and circumferentially adjusted in position causing said rings to attract or repel each other, for repositioning the limb.
In accordance with still an added feature of the invention, there is provided a base to be placed over a limb on one side of a joint in the limb, a spring having one end attached to said base and another end to be attached to the limb on an opposite side of the joint, said spring being coiled to produce a desired force, for repositioning the limb.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there is provided a spring having one end being curved around a base of a limb, another end being passed through a nail on the limb and coils being wrapped around the limb and adjustable, for repositioning the limb.
The apparatus for maintaining the normal position of the body parts may be in combination with the body parts.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method and an apparatus for maintaining the position of body parts, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.